Sleepless
by marnimg
Summary: Levi Ackerman was good at many things, but sleeping certainly wasn't one of them. It's another sleepless night for the captain, so Eren decides to give him some company. Enjoy.


**_A/N: written on a night where I can't sleep, much like the Captain. Undecided on whether to add chapters to this, or to leave it. Let me know. But for now; enjoy._**

Levi Ackerman was good at many things, but sleeping certainly wasn't one of them.

Instead, Humanity's Strongest only ever managed to get about three hours of sleep a night, sat up in his rigid desk chair. The rest of his squad were aware of how little Levi slept, but had found out the hard way that they were never to comment on how heavy his eyes looked.

Despite this, the first time he walked in on Levi asleep in his chair, Oluo had gone on to spread the rumour around HQ that Levi was so terrified of messing up his bed that he never slept in it. Levi's retaliation had ensured Oluo would never tease him about sleeping at his desk again.

But tonight was a night just like every other: quiet, and unexceptional. The moonlight streams through the immaculately clean diamond paned windows, and Levi's room is cold and dimly lit. The single low burning candle throws shapes and dancing shadows across the stone walls and wooden floor. His bed is to the left of him; perfectly made with it's thin sheet and single pillow.

Levi was, of course, awake and sorting through reports and battle plans. And of course, there was a stack of papers which Levi completely ignored: the appeals for insane Titan experiments sent in by none other than Hange Zoë.

For light entertainment, Levi sets his serious papers to one side and pulls Hange's ridiculous handwritten pleas towards him, each one more desperate and unhinged than the last.

Levi scrawls a short note to be pushed under her door simply reading: _Find a new hobby, Four Eyes_.

He's just finished doodling an unflattering cartoon of Hange kissing a Titan on the note, when there's a gentle, uncertain knock on the door. Levi glances up, a small frown appearing on his brow. His desk clock tells him it's 4am.

"Enter." Levi calls.

The door creaks open and there stands Eren Yeager in his undershirt, hair untidy and eyes tired, a cup of tea in his hand.

"Cadet," Levi greets him tightly. "What can I do for you at this hour?"

Eren takes this as an invitation to enter the room. He dares look at Levi who, despite his height, still manages to dominate the atmosphere. In the dim candlelight, his dark eyes seem even darker, almost completely black, and the shadows beneath them seem sunken, and purple. Eren wonders how healthy it is for Levi to consistently deprive himself of sleep.

"I saw your light," Eren says tentatively taking another step into the room, closing the door behind him. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd bring you a cup of tea. And maybe give you some company."

It does not go unnoticed by Levi that Eren flushes slightly. "Thoughtful," Levi comments idly, setting his pen down. "Alright, Cadet, take a seat." Levi gestures to the rickety chair on the other side of his desk.

With a surge of relief at acceptance, Eren crosses the room in only a few strides, seating himself in the chair and placing the steaming cup of tea in front of Levi who mutters a thanks.

"Why aren't you asleep then, brat?" Levi asks brusquely, lifting the mug to his lips and taking a sip. Against all expectations, Yeager has actually managed to make him a decent cup of tea unlike the rest of the Elite Squad. Levi is still convinced Hange sometimes serves him Titan piss.

Eren shrugs. "Jean was snoring and keeping me awake, and going for a wander seemed preferable to smothering Jean with a pillow and killing him in his sleep."

Levi tries to hide a smile of amusement at Eren's humour. "You realise I'll be drilling you especially hard tomorrow in training for being up after hours?"

Eren gives a sigh. "I assumed as much." He admits. "But I'd have been punished for killing Kirstein anyway, so really this is the lesser of two evils."

Levi looks at Eren who has relaxed a little more in his company and is slumped in the chair, his long legs sprawled open. Eren pushes a hand through his choppy brunette hair, lifting green eyes to Levi but immediately dropping them when Levi meets his gaze.

"Captain," Eren starts questioningly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I suppose so."

"Well, uh –" Eren begins to flounder for words a little, not helped by Levi's usual bored and unreadable expression. "You see – Is it uh –"

"Spit it out, Cadet," Levi snaps.

"Is it true that you don't sleep in your bed?" Eren manages in one hurried breath.

Levi coolly raises an eyebrow and Eren braces himself for the inevitable onslaught of sarcasm and cutting remarks.

"Anything else, Yeager?"

"Well Oluo said that the reason you're so short is because you don't sleep?"

Levi bristles with silent rage.

"First of all," Levi tries to remain calm. "I do not sleep in my bed, that is true. And I will not even dignify Oluo's rumour with a response."

"Why?"

"Why what, brat?"

Eren is unfazed by the Captain's annoyance. "Why don't you sleep in your bed?"

"Would you sleep on that plank of wood?"

"I don't know, I've never slept in your bed, Captain." Eren retorts and suddenly flushes again. Levi ignores the cadet's embarrassment.

"By all means, Yeager, lie down." Levi waves a had towards the perfectly made bed. Eren panics.

"No, Captain, uh –"

Levi stands and steps around the desk, grabbing the front of Eren's undershirt and pulling him to his feet. Eren might tower above Levi, but the Captain is certainly stronger as he roughly leads Eren across the room, flinging him down onto the bed.

" _Ow_ ," Eren groans as his backside hits the hard mattress.

"Uncomfortable, isn't it?" Levi growls. "So you can tell Oluo and the rest of them who think it's me being a clean freak, that I'm trying _not_ to permanently damage my back."

Levi sits himself down beside Eren who has been rendered speechless by his sudden outburst. Levi considers apologising.

"I told everyone you didn't sleep because you liked to keep watch over HQ," Eren mutters, staring at his knees.

Levi is silent and frowns. "Why did you tell them that?"

Eren gives a shrug. "Figured you'd appreciate it more than everyone thinking it was because you have a weird thing about making your bed."

Levi is silently appreciative.

Truthfully, Levi doesn't sleep because sleeping means a loss of control of this thoughts. His dreams are dark, unnerving, and haunting. His constant consuming of caffeine keeps him going for long enough until he crashes at his desk and then only allows himself a few hours before being up for breakfast, training, and expeditions.

"I know it's because you're scared of the inside of your head. We all are." Eren says quietly, still looking resolutely down.

Levi doesn't reply but looks ahead. Eren turns to the side, studying Levi's profile. The captain turns his head and suddenly, the two are a lot closer than they realised.

With one final mental kiss goodbye to his dignity, Eren kisses Levi on the mouth. Levi is too stunned by Eren's action to respond properly, and when the young soldier pulls away, his jaw set and face red, Levi attempts a smile.

"You're about a decade too early, Yeager," Levi says wryly. "Call me in ten years."


End file.
